The warship is currently in drydock in Rosyth, Scotland following a propeller shaft misalignment fault and has been there since March after the fault was discovered just before she was due to leave the city to take part in Exercise Steadfast Defender - Nato’s largest operation since The Cold War. A faulty coupling, discovered on the starboard propeller shaft in February, threw a spanner in the works to those plans, stopping her from going to the North Sea and working alongside allied warships and other units, as well as Exercise Joint Warrior. Her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales was instead dispatched in her place.
So while we wait for news of how the repair work is progressing we look back at some of her previous adventures around the globe – and a bit closer to home:
33. HMS Queen Elizabeth
Remembrance Sunday Service on board HMS Queen Elizabeth whilst deployed in 2021. Photo: LPhot Luke
34. HMS Queen Elizabeth
Ship's company and embarked personnel wave to families and friends as the ship returns to Portsmouth after a 7 month deployment in 2021. Photo: LPhot Unaisi Luke
35. HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth lights up her aft island in celebration of PRIDE and the LGBTQ+ Community. Photo: POPhot Jay Allen
36. HMS Queen Elizabeth
The then The Duchess of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales sign the HMS Queen Elizabeth visitor's book during a visit in July 2022 at a unique ‘garden party’ in her hangar for hundreds of veterans of the Falklands conflict. Photo: LPhot Belinda Alker